Repair banisters: Nice and safe

Loose rods? This can happen if the wooden staircase has warped over the years. How to repair the railing.

Bars are removed

Photo: The house / J. Kirchner

1. Remove the rods

First hammer the rods out of the fastener and lift them out of the mortise. Carefully protect the wooden stick with a side stick.

The bar is doubled

Photo: The house / J. Kirchner

2. Double the bar

Choose wooden slats a little thicker than the gap between the rod and the step or the stair stringer. Plan and sand the bar, clean the underside of the handrail.

Wood is marked

Photo: The house / J. Kirchner

3. Mark the wood

Place the rod in the mortise, align it with a spirit level and then use a sharp pencil to mark how much it needs to be shortened. Transfer this measure to the foot of the stack. There you can saw at a right angle, you do not have to imitate the slope of the handrail.

Stacks are sawn off

Photo: The house / J. Kirchner

4. Cut the stack to length

Cut the rod to length with a jigsaw or fox tail.

Round rods are nailed on

Photo: The house / J. Kirchner

5. Nail round rods

The railing must be 90 cm high at the front edge of the step. If the fall height is greater than 12 m, you need 110 cm. Bars must not be more than 12 cm apart. The law specifies exceptions for certain railing parts, e.g. B. in Bavaria. If the bars are too far apart, halve the distance with new round bars.